Ismail Akwei is an international journalist, communications and media consultant, editor, writer, human rights advocate, pan-Africanist, tech enthusiast, history fanatic and a lover of arts and culture. He has worked with multinational media companies across the continent and has over a decade's experience in journalism. He is currently the editor of face2faceafrica.com.

Stereotypes have continued to ridicule the existence of certain races, especially those of African descent who have suffered a lot of existential setbacks in history and modern times. Slavery and marginalisation have long affected black people, however, many are brave enough to change the narrative.

One person from Latin America who is doing just that is ‘Love & Hip Hop: Miami’ star Amara La Negra. She is dark-skinned, wears an afro and is committed to breaking stereotypes and standing out as a proud Afro-Caribbean from the Latin American country of Dominican Republic.

The now North American star had already made a name for herself in the Latin American urban music scene after her breakthrough participation in Univision’s Sábado Gigante as a child.

She has been racially abused in her home country where a beauty queen had once polished her face black to mock the music star during a pageant.

If y’all think Amara La Negra is a white woman in blackface then y’all don’t know what real blackface is. Blackface is that beauty queen in Amara’s own home country in DR wearing blackface and a afro wig mocking Amara pic.twitter.com/5aH1z3Kcp6

Only a day after her debut in the Love & Hip Hop: Miami reality show which premiered on New Year’s day, Amara La Negra won the love and support of many black Americans and Caribbeans, not because of her dark skin, but for standing her grounds against a racist co-star, Young Hollywood, who blatantly told her he didn’t like her afro, skin and anything related to her being black.

This got people angry and at the same time applauding her much-adored defence of her blackness and afro which she has always maintained.

“I Want to Thank Everyone who saw the show lastnight! Now yall Know and see with the type of shit i gotta deal with! I really just wanted to put my story out there! I know someone else in the world can relate!!

“Please don’t say you wont watch the show because of what happened to me… because of what Hollywood said. Thats the reason you need to keep watching the show and help me make a difference,” she tweeted on Wednesday.

I Want to Thank Everyone who saw the show lastnight! Now yall Know and see with the type of shit i gotta deal with! I really just wanted to put my story out there! I know someone else in the world can relate!!

Billboard reported hours later that the fast-rising star had just signed a multi-album record deal with Fast Life Entertainment Worldwide and BMG, and will release her first single in the first quarter of 2018. It will be produced by Rock City.

“I’m still in shock! At times, I am caught pinching myself because there is a part of me that still is in awe of being signed to a franchise that will heighten my success … I am thankful for my team at Fast Life Ent. Worldwide and BMG for this opportunity as an artist. And I cannot wait for my fans to hear my new music,” she said in a statement.

Amara La Negra’s successes have been described as worthy by many of her fans on social media who are supporting her in the fight against racism and racial abuses she has faced as an artist representing the bicultural and Afro-Caribbean people.

We haven’t had an Afro-Latina go mainstream in YEARS since la Cubana, Celia Cruz… I hope Amara La Negra makes it big like Cardi B . She’s so talented and she’d open the doors to show the uneducated and racist that Latinas come in ALL shades #LHHMIApic.twitter.com/NRTtxaCrz3

That fact that y’all let this man say this to Amara La Negra about her Afro & still let him on the show pisses me off. Like y’all not serious. He doesn’t deserve to be on the show at all. His comments were beyond disrespectful. I ain’t even Latina & I’m pissed off #lhhmiapic.twitter.com/x5YrjKnZfP

that convo between Amara La Negra and that brown dude on Love and Hip Hop is proof, on national television that there will never be “POC solidarity” cuz y’all really view black people as inferiors, but just don’t wanna outright call us the n word.